Electric furnace



Dec. 11 1923.

O. A. COLBY ELECTRIC FURNACE Filed sept. 25 1921 Hyg.

z/ 22 F/gl.

INVENTOR Ora f7. /by. BY

ITNE S S: 1%

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

`UNIT!) STATES PATENT orFlcE. l

ORA A. COLBY, OF IRWIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WSTINGHOUSE. ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING'COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC FURNACE.

yApplication led September 23, `1921. Serial No. 502,691.

To all who-m t may concern:

' Be it known that I, ORA A CoLnY, a citizen of the Unitedv States, and a residenthof Irwin, in the county of lVestmoreland and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new7 and useful Improvement in Electric Furnaces, of which the following is .a specificarelatively simple and quickly mountable and demountable resistor for an electricresistance furnace.

In practising my invention, `I provide a relatively heavy resistor member, substantially of rod or bar form, having a plurality of spaced integral flattened portions. I provide refractory supporting members located lin spaced relation in the walls of the furnace chamber, the said members having recesses which permit of initially locating the resistor member therein, with the `main portions lying in the recess, the resistfr member being then moved longitudinally thereof to cause the flattened portions to lie in the recesses to support the resistor member.

In the single sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, in vertical lateral crosssection, of an electric furnace comprising the device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line II-II of Fig. 1,; l

Fig. 3 is a fragment-ary view, in plan, of a resistor member conforming to my inven- "tion, and

Fig. lis a view, in side elevation, of the `portion of a resistor member illustrated in Figl.' v

" An electric furnace 10'comprises a metal- The bottom wall 13 and provided.

' ally employed for such purposes maybe i A plurality of resistor-supporting means 18 are located at spaced intervals longify tudinally of the furnace walls and comprise `either an integral member of substantially The bricks or blocks inthe inner lining immediately adjacent the members 18 are suitably shaped to provide a slot 19, also lsubstantially of T-shape, to receive the members 18. The bricks or blocks in the outer Walls 14 immediately adjacent the members 18 are easily removable to permit of quick and easy removal and replacement of the members 18 whenever this becomes necessary.

If the resistor-supporting means 18 comprises an integral b ock,'it is provided with a plurality of spaced laterally extending recesses 20, substantially of T-shape, to permit of locating therein a resistor to be described hereinafter more in detail.v If the resistorsupporting means 18 comprises a. number of bricks or blocks, suitable recesses are loca-tedineach' block, immediately adjacent theL inner faceat thesides thereof, that the' combined recesses,'fwhen .the bricks 'are located in proper'operative'positions relstantially'the same construction as hereinbefore described in' connection with the side lwalls of the furnace, except that they are S0 shaped, either as an integral membereor as a plurality of blocks, as to conform to the shape of the roof, which=is here illustrated asan arch, although this is not essential. /95

A resistor member 21 comprises an elongated rod, bar or tube of suitable resistance material and of relatively large lateral area of cross section. A plurality of spaced, integral, fiattened auxiliary'portions 22' are provided in the resisto 'member, each of relatively short length, the main portions of the resistor member being of an original predetermined "shape or contour of lateral cross section. The attened portions 22 may be formed any desired manner, as by roll- -ing between two co-operating rolls or by pressing between dies to change the lateral contour Without substantially changing the area of cross section thereof. The resistor is bent into substantially the form illustrated in vFig.2 to comprise a plurality of substantially vparalieb-"extending straight portions having integral end connections with the flattened portions located symmetrically in each of the straight portions.

The method, of mounting' the resistor member in the furnace chamber is as fol- "lows, it being assumed that it is desired to tive position in the furnace chamber.,

mount a resistor member in the right-hand wall of the furnace illustrated in Fig. 1. A resistor member 2l, comprising four convolutions, is so located that portions of the .individual convolutions are located in the grooves or recesses 20, it being understood that, initially, the resistor member is temgorarily placed in the furnace longitudinally isplaced a short distance from its normal operative position relatively to the supporting means 18. After all ofthe convolutions have been located in the recesses or grooves 20, the resistor member is moved, a short distance, in a longitudinal direction until the auxiliary portions 22 lie in the recesses 20 and engage other'portions thereot` than were engaged before by the main portions of thev resistor member.l The same descrip'- tion applies tothe method of mounting a resistor in, the other Wall or in the roof of the furnace, it being evident that, as the flattened portions 22 of the resistor member 21 engage the overhanging flange of the recesses 20 the resistor member 2l is held securely in its operative position in the furnace.

As hereinbefore stated, the resistor is made sufficiently large in lateral cross section yto permit of its being substantially selfsupporting between the members 18, which may, of course, be spaced apart a greater or a lesser distance as may be required.

It may be noted that the device embodying my invention provides a relatively simplc andeasily manufactured resistor' inember which is made of relatively hcavyaud substantially self-supporting material requiring only a relatively simple supporting means and Whichinay be quickly and easily mounted in and disniounted from its opera- This application is closely related to my co-pending application, vSerial No. 523.212, filed Decemberfl7, l921 ,and to an application of T. A. lid, Serial No. 529,004, filed January 13, 1922, both applications being assigned to the Westinghouse Electric &

lilanufactui-inge;y Company.

Various modifications may be made in the device embodying my 4invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and l desire 'that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are specifically' set forthin the appended claims.

I claim as' my invention:

1. An electric furnace comprising a, re-

sistor rod having a plural-it' of symmetri` cally spaced integral-flattene portions.

porting means and a resistor rod having1 a plurality of integral flattened portionsl ocated in said supporting means.

2. An electric furnace comprising a sup- 3. An electric furnace comprising spaced supporting means anda resistor rod havin a plurality of integral flattened portions, sai supporting means being engaged by said ilattened portions only. I

4. An electric furnace comprising spaced supporting means and a resistor rod having a plurality of integral flattened portions err' gaging said supporting means, said rod being substantially self-supporting between said supporting means.

An electric furnace comprising a resistor member having a predetermined contour of lateral cross-section 1n `its main portionsand integral auxiliary portions of different contour and of substantially equal area.

6. In an electric furnace, in combination, a resistor member having relatively long -main-portions of predetermined contour and integral auxiliary short portions of diiferent contour, and a supporting means. for said resistor having a, plurality of recesses therein for initially receiving parts of the main portions of said resistor and for permaeral cross-section and of substantially equal n cross-sectional area. A

9. In an electric furnace, in combination, a resistor member of predetermined contour of lateral cross-section havin a plurality of substantially parallel-exten ing end -connected convolutions, each convolution having a plurality of integralirelatively short auxiliary portions of different contour and a supporting means for said resistor having recesses therein fori operatively engaging saidl short auxiliary portions of the resistor convolutions to maintain said resisto in its operative position in said furnace.` rk

10. In an electric furnace, in combi ation,

a resistor member of predetermined contour of lateral cross-section having a pluralityof substantialb1 parallel-extending end-connected con'rolutonseach convolution havlLaramie g ing a plurality of integral relatively short auxiliary portions of different contour, and a plurality of spaced relatively narrow refractorl supporting means, eachl of said means avingn plurality of lateral recesses therein of euch -orm as to permit of initially engaging the main portions of said convolutions and finally engaging the auxiliary portions thereoffor maintaining said resistor member in its operative position in said furnaee. v

11. In an electric furnace, in combination a resistor member having.,rv main portions of a, predetermined contour of lateral cross-section and spaced integral auxiliary short portions of different contour and spaced refractory supporting means for said resistor member having recesses therein for permitting the initial vengagement', of the main portions o said resistor with said supporting means and the final engagement of the auxiiary portions ofsaid resistor witl Said snpporting means, the resistor member being' self-supporting between said refractory sup portin means.

12. n an electric furnace, in combination, a. resistor member having main portions of a predetermined contour of lateral cross-sec tion and spared integral auxiliary short ortionsof different contour and spaced ne ractory supporting means for said resistor member having recesses therein for permitting the initial engagement of the main portion ofsaid resistor with said supporting means for permitting the longitudinal dis* placement of said resistor member relatively to said supporting means to maintain the resistor member in final engagement therewith.

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 19th lay of Sep` tember, 192i.

GRA A. COLBY. 

